150 years: Wandiligong Primary School

Learn about the history of Wandiligong Primary School, one of Victoria's oldest public schools.

Key information

Address:
119 School Road, Wandiligong, 3744
Opened:
24 September 1860
School type:
Primary
School number:
275
Other names:
Wandiligong School, Wandiligong Common School, Wandiligong State School

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The history of Wandiligong Primary School

  • 1860

    Wandiligong was opened by the Presbyterian Assembly of Victoria in 1860.

    The first head teacher James Brookes. He had no previous experience as a teacher.

  • 1862

    Brookes qualified as a teacher in 1862. The school became a common school at this time.

  • 1870s

    The school became a state school at some stage between 1873 and 1878.

    The school closed in 1875 because of a ‘severe outbreak of measles'.

    A new brick school building opened in 1877. A 14 inch brass bell was placed in the tower. The old school building was then used as a teacher's residence.

  • 1918

    100 students and ex-students volunteered for World War One.

  • 1964

    Black and white photograph of the Wandiligong school building with trees in front of the school. The school building is brick and has a bell tower. Wandiligong Primary School building in 1964 when it was Wandiligong State School. Source: John T. Collins and the State Library of Victoria

  • 1970

    The school was renamed Wandiligong Primary School in 1970.

  • 2022

    Wandiligong Primary School is still in operation.

Find more interesting facts about this school

The Public Records Office (PROV) is the archive of Victoria's State and local government. They look after some of our oldest school records, and we can use these records to help us understand what school life used to be like.

Now it is your turn to do some detective work. Take a look to see what information they have on this school.

Find all the records PROV holds for this school(opens in a new window)

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